Haiti earthquake: Jacmel, one week later

A woman gestures as she waits in line for food from the United Nations in the Cite Soleil neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. The food ran out before most of the line could pass. The U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved 3,500 extra troops and police officers to beef up security in Haiti and ensure that desperately needed aid gets to earthquake victims. Food remains in short supply in Jacmel, as well. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

At first, with the world focused on the damage and lives lost in Port-au-Prince, the people of Jacmel, Haiti had a hard time getting the word out that they needed help following last Tuesday’s earthquake. The word finally did get out and help finally did start arriving, but residents in this city of 40,000 are perhaps now wondering if the word didn’t get out too strongly.

Thousands of refugees from other parts of Haiti are flooding into Jacmel. Some perhaps even from Port-au-Prince, since the road between the two cities is now open again.

Annie Nocenti, an instructor at the Ciné Institute in Jacmel, told Dana Chivvis of Sphere.com that there may be as many as 80,000 homeless people now in the city.

“The population is exploding,” Nocenti said. “I don't know where they are coming from.”

Many of those people are in urgent need of medical attention. As reported here yesterday, the Canadian military is setting up a field hospital in Jacmel. Also, the charity Joy in Hope has been flying in physicians from the Doctors Without Borders organization.

Another Christian organization, Haitian Support Ministries, is flying in doctors and nurses from northwest Indiana.

“They’re all from this area,” said Nate Loucks, pastor of the State Street Community Church in LaPorte. “All are doctors and nurses that have gone with us before.”

  Earthquake survivors reach out for shoes as water and clothing are distributed at a makeshift camp in Port-au-Prince, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Jan. 12. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

The same group was in Jacmel just two months ago, but none hesitated to respond to the call for help when Haiti Support Ministries was able to arrange a flight.

“Within 24 hours, we had a team of doctors and nurses ready to go,” Loucks noted.

The trip was set up when Loucks was contacted by a college friend who has a father doing mission work in the Dominican Republic. They were able to work together to get a flight arranged. The Haiti Support Ministries group landed in Puerto Rico a few hours ago and was waiting for a flight to take them to Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic.

“If all goes as planned, they’re going to take a plane from Santo Domingo and fly into Jacmel,” Loucks said.

The team includes an eye surgeon, two general surgeons, and a family doctor. They’re carrying with them much-needed medical supplies, including local anesthetic.

“Hopefully, we’ll set up a base at our church and orphanage there,” Loucks said. “I’m sure they’ll look at the sick children first and then the adults.”

Loucks’ uncle, Jay Loucks, is also flying with the group and will provide a boost to Jean Claude Pierre, the group’s pastor in Jacmel.

“He’s feeding 300 people, at least, a day, with the food they‘ve got,” Nate Loucks said of Pierre. “They’re going to run out of food soon.”

How bad was Jacmel hit by the magnitude 7.0 quake? The UN’s initial estimate was that 3,000 people were killed in the earthquake, which also destroyed 1,785 homes, 87 businesses, 54 schools, 26 churches, and 24 hotels. Another 4,410 homes were partially destroyed, leaving 5,730 families homeless.

The rebuilding effort in Jacmel is going to last far beyond these initial days and weeks. If you would like to help, please consider a donation to Haiti Support Ministries or one of the other organizations featured in recent articles here.